Trench digger



J. POWERS TRENCH DIGGER April 13 1926.

Filed Au t 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 jiibf ilzblf James Paws B /MZS 61% ii z ihesses April 13' 1926.

J. POWERS- TRENCH BIGGER Filed August 18. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet, 2

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iVi iness es April 13 1926. 1.580570 J. POWERS TRENCH DIGGER Filed August 18, i921 3 Sheets-Sheet '5 I z 1 I I I l l I fi l iize sses: [nag/227222:

' 21% am ejames owers 7 Patented Apr. 13, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES POWERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRENCH DIGGER.

Application fil ed August 18, 1921'. Serial No. 493,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES PowERs, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trench.

Diggers, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to machines or ap material cut by the cutting means.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds", and while herein details of the invent-ion are described, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example one of many possible embodiments of the invention Fig. 1 is a side elevationof the machine in operative position.

Fig. 2 is 'a plan of the machine;

Fig. is a fragmental rear endtelevation partly in section; I

Fig. 4 is a fragmental side elevation partly insect-ion taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the milling cutter supports of the machine drawn to a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a central Said frame carries at its front end a vertical steering post-sleeve (Fig. 1) in which is a rotatable steering post '16 provided at its lower end with a castor fork 17 carrying a steering road wheel 18. A bevel gear 20 on the upper end of said post meshes sectional View of the support, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5

with another gear 21'carried on the forwarc end of a shaft 22 mounted in a bracket 23' anal carrying the hand wheel 24 atits rear en Axle brackets 27 (Fig. 3) secured to the r'ear'of said side members 12 and 13 respectively carry out-turned shafts 28 carrymg the drive road wheels 3O rotatably' mounted on said shafts and provided at the" inner end of theirv hubs with sprocket Wheels 31.

An internal combustion motor '33 (Figs.

1 and 2) or other engine is mounted on a plate 34 carried on. the forward part of said side members 12 and 13 and is profl vided with a bevel gear 35 on the rear part of its drive shaft. A U-shaped transmission housing 37 (Fig. 3) having an upper yoke and having the lower ends of its sides or arms 38 outwardly turned and mounted on said side members, is provided at the mid portion of its sides with hearing openings 39 carrying bearing bushings 40 receiving a. transverse main drive shaft 41 carrying drive sprockets 42 at its outer ends with which are engaged chains 44 between said drive sprocket-s 42 and the sprockets v 81 of said road wheels.

A counter shaft 45 (Fig. 2) transversely mounted forward of said housing is provided with a bevel gear 46 engaging said I A clutch member '47 loose on said counter shaft bevel gear 35of the motor shaft.

meshes with a slidable member 48 splined on said counter shaft and provided with an annular. groove 49 in which engages the lower end of a lever 50 (Fig. 1) fulcrumed on a bracket 51 on the forward part of the housing 37 and having its upper end received in thebifurcated forward end of a hand lever 52 fulcrumed on the bracket 53 nection is provided comprising a s rocket chain 55 (Fig. 2) and a sprocket w reel 56 and sprocket teeth on the member 47 whereby said main drive shaft is drivenfroni said counter shaft when said clutch is closed.

A milling shaft carrier 60 (Figs. 1 and 4) is provided with upper extensions 61 for operating the clutch. A sprocket con- I pivotally received on said bushing 40 and provided at its lower end with a worm housing 62 disposed near the ground when the carrier is in vertical position. Said worm housing carries a milling shaft 63'rot-atably mounted in and projecting downwardly therefrom co-a xial with saidcarrier.

one side of said worm housing. A sprocket connection between said worm shaft 3) and said main drive shaft comprises sprocket wheels 68 and GE) and a sprocket chain 70 disposed outside of said transmission housing 37. I

A plurality of pider-members 72 (Figs. 1 and 5) having central hubs 73 fast on said milling shaft 63 are provided with ra lial milling arms 74lprovided at their outer ends with milling cutters 75 secured thereto by bolts '76 and held agai st ro ...tion by pins 78 (Fig. 6). These cutters may be round (Fig. '7) or triangular as the cutter 75 (Fig. 8) or any other desired shape.

A worm casing 79 l) mounted on a rear bracket 80 fast on the rear part of said transmission housing as? guides the upper part of a sector rack 81 pivotally connected at its lower end to said worm housing f J and having its upper end toothed and enga d by a worm 82 carried on a worm post UL) vertically mounted in said vie-rm casing and carrying an operating hand-wheel 84 at its upper end for raising said milling shaft and cutters to the position of Fig. l.

A conveyor trough 85 having a transversely disposed drum pulley 86 (Fig. l) rotatably mounted at its lower end and a simi lar pulley on and driven by a transversely mounted operated shaft 8,? at an intermediate part of the trough is in part supported by supporting links 88 pivotally mounted on a boss '80 so as to be radial to said t nission shaft. The outer end of the links is pivotally received on said operating shaft 87. An adjusting link 9-0 (Fig. l) pivotally conre :ting a lateral bracket 91 (Fig. on the lower part of said trough to a clamp carrying bracket mounted on one of said side members 12 is held in adjusted position by a clamping bolt 93 passed through said bolt carrying bracket and a slot 9% 1) in said link.

A sprocket connection between said transmission shaft 41 and said operating shaft 87 and comprising sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain =9? is provided for driving the operating shaft. A conveyor comprising band 98 disposed over said pulley drums and provided with excm'ating bhdes drawing material from said mill g i to the upper part of said trough, dischar e the material into a laterally projected hopper 1 00, 9) secured under an opening 101 (Fig. 1) near the upper part of said trough, for discharging material to one side of the ditch.

A drivers seat 102 mounted on the of said -fran'ie is in convenient position to said lever 52 and hand-wheels 24; and 8 1-.

The operation of the machine is very simple. The machine being ready to operate, with the milling cutters and trough raised to the position of Fig. the clutch may be thrown in and the machine guided to the location where it is intended to commence digging the trench. The milling cutters are then lowered to the ground by operating the hand-wheel until the cutters tal-ze the position Fig. 1. At the same time the trough 85 is lowered also to the position of Fig. 1, whereupon the forward movement of the machine causes the cutters 5 to cut away the forward end of the excavation thereby loosening the soil and throwing it back to the blades 99 which the loos-encc mat 'ial back into the trough and up to the openrn 101 and discharge it into the hopper ch in turn'lateral'ly i. 1. discharges the material as show n in r 1g. 9,

ither depositing it at the side of the trench or into a suitable conveyance drawn along 4 "a i 1 Zlb the rear or the r 85 is to be lowered, the

handle 10; (l is rotated to loosen th the c'lamo: g n-ut upon the hill: -90,

hold (T thereby oe nutti rough to be lowered.

igii't po of t 1e trough 1s atlVhen the r tained, rot tion or "the handle 103 clamps said link in place, thereby positioning the trough.

When the cutters 75 or 75 become worn at one edge portion, they may be adjusted to bring other edge portions into play by removing the bolt 76 and the cutter, rotating the cutter a bitand replacing it on the arm 74.

In general it may be stated that the purpose of this machine is to provide a mechanism w ich will cut, dig, excavate or otherwise make a trencn, more expeditiously, accurately and at a less expense both in the power necessary to operate the mechanism, the other expenses incident to the operation of such a machine and in the labor and attention required. This machine can be used also for ditching, dredging, grading, leve ing, tilling, sub-soil plowing and in numerous other classes of excavating, cutting and filling work generally.

In many uses, particularly when the machine is used as a sub-soiler or other cultivation, the conveyor may be omitted or held out of Under other circumstances it may sometimes be desirable to omit or re move the milling mechanism and use the conveyor alone.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a main frame steering and drive road wheels therefor; a motor thereon; a transverse main shaft mounted on said frame and having operative connection with the drive readwheels and motor; a downwardly disposed milling shaft carrier-pivoted radial to said main shaft,

a milling shaft carried by the carrier alined therewith and rotated by said main shaft; milling arms provided with end milling cutters carried on the milling shaft; means for raising and lowering the carrier; a conveyor trough provided with a conveyor means and an upper lateral discharge chute, and an intermediate transverse operating shaft operatively connected to the conveyor means; supporting links having their ends pivoted radial to said main and operating shafts;

an adjustable link pivotedly connected to said mainframe and trough; and means for clamping the link in adjusted position.

'2. In combination, a main frame having side members; steering and drive road wheels therefor; a motoi-thereon; a transverse main shaft mounted on said frame and having operative connection With the motor; a U shaped. transmission housing having an upper yoke and having the lower ends of its arms mounted on said side members, ,the mid portion of the sides of the housing being provided with alined bearing openings surrounded by inner bosses; bearing bushings in said bearing openings and receiving the transverse main shaft; a chain and sprocket connection between the outer ends of said main shaft and said road wheels; a carrier pivoted radial to said drive shaft; amilling shaft on said carrier driven by said drive shaft, and carrying cutters; a conveyor behind said cutters and driven by said main shaft; and links pivotally connecting said conveyor to said main shaft and frame.

3. In combination, a movable frame; a transverse drive shaft thereon; a milling shaft carrier having its upper part radial to said drive shaft and'provided at its lower end with a worm housing extending to near the ground when the carrier is in vertical position; a milling shaft mounted in and projecting downwardly from said worm housing co-axial with said carrier; a worm wheel iii said worm housing on said milling shaft; a transversely disposed worm shaft mounted in said housing and carrying a worm engaging said wormwheel and having one end projecting at one side of said worm housing parallel with and operatively connected with said main drive shaft; and a plurality of spider-memheis having central hubs fast on said milling shaft and provided with radial milling arms and provided at their outer ends with milling cutters.

e111 combination, a movable frame; a transmission housing thereon; a transverse main shaft mounted in said housing; a downwardly disposed milling shaft carrier pivoted ra'dial to said main shaft; a worm casing mounted fast to the rear of said transmission housing; a sector rack pivotally connected at its lower end to said shaft carrier pivoted radial to said drive,

shaft; a milling shaft on said carrier driven by said drive shaft and carrying cutters; a

conveyor trough provided with a conveyormeans and an upper lateral discharge chute, and an intermediate transverse operating shaft operatively connected to the conveyor means; supporting links having their inner ends pivoted radial to said main and operating shafts; an'adjustable link pivotally connected to said main frame and trough; and means for clamping the link in adjusted position.

6. In combination, a movable frame; a transverse drive shaft thereon; cutters carried by the frame; a conveyor trough provided with a discharge opening in the upper part of its lower face';-a transverse discharge chute under said opening; transversely disposed drum pulleys rotatably mounted at the upper and lower parts of said trough; a transverse operating Shaft for driving said pulleys; supporting links pivoted at the upper ends radial to said operating shaft, whereby said trough is in part supported by said links; a lateral bracket on the lower part of said trough; a clamp carrying bracket mounted on one of said side members; a clamping bolt passed through said bolt carrying bracket; an adjusting link pivotally connecting said lateral bracket to said clamping bolt; a chain sprocket connection between said drive shaft and said operating shaft; and a band disposed over said pulley (llllf'ilS and provided with excavating blades for drawing material from ust behind said milling cutters to the upper part of said trough for discharge through said chute, for discharging material to one side of the trough.

7. In combination, a movable frame comprising side members; a transverse drive shaft thereon; a milling shaft carrier pivoted radial to said drive shaft; a milling shaft on said carrier driven by said drive shaft and carrying cutters; a conveyor behind said cutters and driven by saidmain shaft and comprising a trough; links pivotally connecting said conveyor to said main shaft and frame; a lateral bracket on the lower part of said trough; a clamp carrying bracket mounted on one of said side meinbe rs, a clamping bolt passed through said bolt carrying bracket and an adjustable link pivotally connected to said. lateral bracket to said clamping bolt and provided at the upper end with aslot receiving the clamping bolt.

8. in combination, a movable frame; a drive shaft mounted on said frame transverse to its path of movement; a downwa t ly disposed nrilling shaft carrier radial to said shaft and pivotally connected to said shaft; a'niilling shaft carried by the carrier alined therewith and rotated by said main shaft; and milling cutters carried on the milling shaft; a sector racl: pivoted on the carrier and means cooperating with said rack to adjustaby position the carrier.

9. In combination, a movable fr me; a drive shaft mounted on said frame transverse to its path of movement; a downwardly disposec n'iilling-shaft carrier pivo ed radial to said shaft; milling shaft carried "by the carrier alined therewith and rotated by said main shaft; milling cutters carried on the milling shaft; and means for adjusting the carrier up and down; a toothed sector pivotally mounted on the carrier and hand operable means cooperating with said sector to adjust the carrier up or down.

10. In combination, a movable frame; a transverse drive shaft thereon, a milling shaft carrier pivoted radial to said drive shaft; a milling shaft on said carrier driven by said drive shaft and radial to the shaft; and plurality of spider members having central hubs fast on said milling shaft, and provided with radial milling arms having radial vertical faces provided with central bolt holes; a pin projecting from each 'ver tical face; a bolt in the bolt hole; and a milling cutter on said bolt and having its complete periphery formed into a cutting edge and provided with equi-angularly spaced holes receiving said pin to hold the cutter against rotation.

11. In a trench digger, the combination with a rotary milling shaft, of a spider member having its central hub fast or. said milling shaft, said spider rnen lber having radial milling arms, radially vertical. faces ns'soero provided with a hole to receive one of said pins to hold the cutter against rotation.

12. A trench digger comprising a downwardly disposed rotary milling shaft'radially adjustable in the vertical plane of the path of the digger; a plurality of radial milling arms fast on said milling shaft and 11 rovi-4led with radial vertical faces; a clamping bolt perpendicularly disposed in each of said faces; and a flatmil-ling cutter rotatably adjust-ably secured on said "bolt and having its periphery formed into eutting edges. 7

13. In combination, a movable frame; a rotary milling shaft on said frame; a pinrality of spider-members having central hubs fast on said shaft and provided with radial milling arms having radial vertical faces provided with central bolt holes; a pin projecting from each vertical face; a bolt in the bolt hole; and a milling cutter on said bolt and having its complete periphery formed into a cutting edge and provided with equi-angularly spaced holes receiving said pin to hold the cutter against rotation.

14. In a trench digger, the combination with a downwardly disposed rotary nii'lline shaft, of a plurality of radial carriers fixed to said shaft, cutters adjustably positioned on the periphery of said radial carriers, av rack pivoted to said shaft, and a gear for actuating said rack whereby to relatively displace said shaft in an angular direction.

15. in a trench digger, the combination with a doymwardly disposed rotary milling shaft, of a plurality of radial carriers fixed to-said shaft, cutters adjustably positioned on theperiphery of said radial carriers, r ck and pinion means for angularly adjusting said shaft, and pivotally mounted ing means positioned adjacent the -l "ll t"b t' 'tl means lOl atria j (11s 11 n m 1e terial.

conveymilling cut me- JAMES POWERS. 

